"After seeing so many of the German people and living in their homes, we came to have a different impression of them than we had had before. Everywhere the people treated us with the same respect that they would have treated their own soldiers." Diary, page 46

For World War I infantryman Vincent Reed, the horrors of combat were a sharp contrast to his experiences with the Army of Occupation. Reed fought in the St. Mihiel Offensive, which decimated his company. After the Armistice, Reed was assigned to administrative duties in Gerolstein, Germany. He made a point of getting to know the locals, study the architecture and history of the town, and travel as widely as possible, including a memorable trip to the south of France.